Memory Master

Memory Master Basket

What's in it?

• 1 copy of the Cy1 MemMaster NB pdf Document from www.classicalconversations.com - Foundations - File Share.  I print mine out reduced to 58% with printing set to 2 sheets per 1 page and then use a 5x8 notebook to put it in.  Just makes it more compact and easier to carry around.  
• MP3 player and CD's of the Memory Work for the entire Cycle.  
• Cycle 1 Memory Cards available at www.classicalconversations.com.  
• White Board with dry erase marker
• Ruler (for drawing maps)
• White paper (for drawing maps) and pencil
• Geography Notebook from CC Community or Trivium Tables for Geography would work great as well (available at www.classicalconversations.com)  I use this so that I can keep my book at the 5x8 size - it saves on ink and easier to carry around.  The maps are the only thing that really need to be bigger to be usable.

Memory Master Basket is out and it's available all the time.  The goal is "mastery" of the information - which means to have committed the information to long-term memory.  This is done through repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition and just for good measure - repetition!  Play the CD's in the background as the kids are working on other projects, riding in the car, making dinner, doing chores or just playing.  Put it on CD's that you can keep in your child's CD player in their room and play it as they go to sleep -starting it at a different place each night while they fall asleep.  Start singing yourself, a part of a memory peg and see if they can finish it for you.  Make it a pervasive part of their day.  Anything you see, study or read whenever there is opportunity, tie it back to the memory work.  They will begin to do it themselves if you get the juices going that direction!  :)  For example, we were watching Robin Hood last year and my daughter asked me if the "King John" referenced in the cartoon was Eleanor of Aquitaine's son and Richard's brother from Cycle 2!  Awesome!  That's what we want - right?

Every six weeks, I would do the proof sheet for that six weeks.  Make a note of any of the memory work that they haven't mastered and hone in on those particular pieces for the next week and then retest to see if they've mastered them finally.  Continually, reviewing all the material each week.  You can review it in subjects by day, weeks by day or however it makes sense to you to fit it all in each week.  Sometimes, if there is a particular memory peg they are struggling with you might want to find a way to bring that piece to life - perhaps doing a little side study on it or finding a great book on it or craft etc.  Anything that will help them hang that memory peg better.